Suitcase frame



. B. ZERENGA SUITCASE FRAME March 12, 1929.

Filed Nov. 18, 1926 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12,1929,

UNITED s rATes IBONAVENTURE ZERENGA, or NEW'YoRK, n. Y.

SUITCASE FRAME.

Application filediNfovembcr 18,1926. Serial 110,149,180.

This invention relates to suitcase frames and i particular to oneconstructed of wood, v which will be light and durable.

A particularobject of the invention is to 3 provide a suitcase framewhich, when covered will close properly and in which the.

parts, such as the body and the cover thereof,

r will fit together without bulge or sagging, as has heretofore been thecase in suitcase frames 10. which are made up without allowance forsubsequent covering of leather or other material used in the trade.

Inthe making of the suitcase frame hereto-1 fore, much difficulty hasbeen encountered due, to the fact that the cutting of the wood to form'the suitcase frame has resulted ultij matelyin crowding, due tothe'methodof cutting, the crowding beingdue-to the covering of the framewith leather or other like 30. the various modifications in structureand relation contemplated, a drawing deplctlng a' preferred form hasbeen annexed as a part of this disclosure and in such drawing, similarreference characters denote corresponding parts throughout all theviews, of which,

Figure 1 isaview in perspective of my improved suitcase frame showingthe same after it has been cut through with a saw to form a body portionand a cover therefor.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary edge view, in sectional elevation of the boxor frame,'as it would appear after being cut by the saw at the pointindicated by the dot and dash line.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the 5 line 33 of Figure 2 showinghow the end and side portions of the box are placed together through themedium of the tongue and groove joints, which are well known in thistype of construction.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 taken nearer the cornerof the box and illustrating how the cover and body portion will fittogether after the box has been cut through by a saw to be divided intoa cover and body portion.

Figure '5 is asectional view taken on'the PATENT- oF FicE-g line 5-5 ofFigure 4 and-shows the corner construction of the frame.

Figure 6 ,is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure-4 showingthe corner construction of the frame body. f Figure 7 is a combined Viewin section taken on the lines 77 of Figures 5 and 6, showing theconstruction of the frame at the 1 corner thereof.

. Figure 8 is atop plan view of one corner f of the box showing theundercut groove and the arrangement of the cornerpiece, having alsoa'groove cut therein, and.

V L F gure 9 1sav1ew lnsectional elevation showlng thecompleted,sultcaseor'trunk, the

same being covered with leather or other like material.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 5 indicates generally, the framewhich is composed of side members 6 and end members 7,, joined atthecorner by the usual tongue and groove oint 8 and closed to form acompleted box by the top 9 and bottom 10. Inthe making up of suitcaseframes embodying wood or other like construc tion, a completed box ismade which is closedon 'allsides'and the box f is then out as on theline11 all around by a saw, thus forming an upper'orlid portion 12 and abody'portion 13.

This cutis made after the box 'jhas been' completed so that the partswill fit together squarely, as it isevident that it would be alculty hasbeen experienced that when the lid 1 and body portion weresubsequentlycovered' with leather or other material, as a finish for thesuitcase, the same prevented the accurate closing of the lid on the boxbody and in this invention, I have endeavored to overcome this objectionby providing a novel method of forming the body and lid portions sothat, when they are covered with leather or other suitable material,they will fit together snugly and allow accurate and close fitting andclosingof the suitcase cover.

It is evident, of course, that this construc-, tion about to bedescribed can be employed for trunks or other boxes and, in carrying outmy invention, I provide the end and side. pieces 7 and 6 respectively,with a cut back, groove 14, the face 15 of this cutback groove mostimpossible to make two halves of a boxf V and have theinfit togetherperfectly to form being disposed at an angle so thatthe upper edge ofthe side or end pieces 6 and 7 are thicker at their top edges wherebythey can form a support to which the top 9 may be glued or otherwisesecured. The side and end members are joined at their corners by theusual tongue and groove joint 8 and closed by placing thereon the topand bottoms 9 and 10 respectively.

When the entire box has been completed, a saw c'ut completely around thebox is made at the groove 14, so that a lid is formed having a flangededge, the inner portion of which is bevelled, due'to the angular facereferred to. Y

In ord'erto provide a space into which the cover may set down over theedge of the body portion 13, I provide in the latter, a step-like groove1'6,'into the edge of which the lower edge of the cover 12 may fit, thegroove '16 being of such width as to allow plenty ofroom between theinner face 15 of the cover edge and the upper edge 17 of the box, or

7 .body portion 13. This willallow the box to be completely covered asat 18 with leather or other suitable covering material and, as shown inFigure 9, will allow plenty of room so that the cover 12 and bodyportion 1 3 may ...be hinged together in any suitable manner as at19'and willclosesnugly and accurately,

thereby presenting no uneven surfaces and enhancing. the appearanceofthe finished suitcase or boX.

In orderto brace the corners of the box,

I provide corner piecesv 20 which, as illus-' trated in Figure 9, allowfor the cutting of the groove 16 at the corner of the box to provide theupstanding portion 17 therer around and allow slightly more room at the40 cornerof the box than elsewhere, due to the fact that'the coveringmaterial mustbe cut and overlapped at this point as is apparent whenfilling in a space of shorter radius than the length of the material.

The corner of the boX lid may be provided with an insetportion 21 whichconforms to the shape of the side edge of the cover and which maybeglued in place at the tongue and groove corners thereof, so as to bracethe same and also to fit securely .at the corner of the box at which itis disposed.

It-is evident, therefore, that I have pro- States Letters Patent isvided a box construction in the nature of a suitcase or trunk frame, orin fact for use in any other manner in which the cover is so constructedthat when the same is covered with leather or the like,'-it will snuglyfit with and match the body portion of the frame, which has also beencovered.

It is evident, also, that I have provided a frame construction which canbe made at small cost and which will provide a standardized' frameconstruction which need not be operated upon by machinery or othercutting means to fit the same accurately together after it has beenpartially completed.

While I have illustrated and described my" 1 The method of manufacturinga suitcase frame which consists in'grooving'a plurality of side andendinemberson their in terior surface, oining the same together with atop and bottom to provide a closed bo'X, cutting the box at said groovedportions to form a cover and body portion and then.

grooving the top edge of the body portion so formed, so that the innersurface 'of' the cover edge will be in spaced relation with.

the top edge of the body. 7

2. The method of manufacturing a suitcase frame consisting in forming atapering groove having a relatively long angularly disposed face at theupper edge of a body open at its top and bottom, applying a top to thebody, applying a bottom to thebody and cutting through at thebottomofsaid groove, to provide a eoverand finally form-. mg a groove in the cutedge of the body to J receive therein loosely'the cut edge of saidcover. i

In testimony whereof'I aiiix my l BONAVENTURE ZEBENGA, a s1

